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One of the first things I’m asked when I share with others that I’m a figure skater is if I’m going to the Olympics. I generally laugh it off. Yes, I’ve competed nationally and internationally (bringing home a bronze medal from Italy has definitely been a highlight of my skating career), but that doesn’t quite mean I’m Olympic bound. By no means have I had any of this success on my own though – I guess my more appropriate title would be synchronized figure skater.

I tried almost every sport before ice skating. Given that, I started pretty late, but I was determined to catch up. I was the awkward tall girl put with a bunch of five-year-olds in my first ice show number. During the performance, my synthetic hula skirt fell down, leaving me completely mortified and never wanting to skate again, until I saw the Hockettes Synchronized Skating Team. Not only was there one pretty figure skater in a beautiful dress with full hair and makeup, but an entire team of them flying across the ice in perfect unison. I thought they were angels. I didn’t blink through that entire performance; it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my life. Right then and there, I decided that I had to be one of them. A month later, I tried out, made the team and haven’t looked back since.

Skating in a team setting has definitely exaggerated the highs and lows that come with any sport, but many of my most rewarding and fulfilling experiences have come from skating. Continuing to skate in college was never a question for me, it was always a dream of mine. I currently skate for the Michigan State University Synchronized Skating Team, and it’s been such a worthwhile experience. It’s been a blessing to still be able to do what I love in college, and I don’t take a second of it for granted.

Throughout my skating journey, I’ve always been fascinated with competition wear. When I was first starting out, I would dump as much glitter as I could onto my teammates’ heads (I named myself “the glitter fairy”) and put as much makeup on as possible. I’ve always loved the process of picking out the dresses and seeing where the inspiration comes from. This year, my team skates to music from The Great Gatsby soundtrack, so we wear black and gold dresses with a ton of gems, fringe and headpieces that are completely Daisy-inspired. Being a figure skater has definitely made me a little bit more fearless when it comes to fashion.

Even though the Olympics aren’t a reality for me, they are for a select dedicated few. My team and I can’t wait to watch and cheer on Team USA, especially the skating events! It’s amazing to see what people can do, and it shows that hard work can go a long way.

What sport do you play? Why are you excited for the Olympics? Share with us on social media using the hashtag #collegefashionista!